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Recent content by DavidBowman

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    Follow up testing Noctivid

    It might be different here in the UK, where, speaking to my local dealer, Leica have developed a good reputation for service. Two personal examples are: 1. When I dropped my original 5 year old Ultravids onto concrete, one eye cup cracked, though they remained optically perfect. I took them...
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    Follow up testing Noctivid

    I agree with you about the view through the NV. Leaving all technicalities aside, what most strikes me most is the beauty of the view through the NVs - it just seems to add to the sheer pleasure of birding. Cheers David
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    Follow up testing Noctivid

    Hi, just trying to answer your questions and not get into brand-based argument. As best I can tell, when I look through the SVs and the NVs, what I see is that: The NVs are very noticeably brighter (which you'd expect based on transmission figures) Both are razor sharp (though the SVs are...
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    Follow up testing Noctivid

    I agree with that, Martyn. Tried side-by-side with 8 x 42 SVs the NVs (which I've been using daily since their day of first release) deliver a noticeably better image - slightly brighter, with significantly better contrast and colour fidelity plus absence of veiling glare and rolling globe...
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    Follow up testing Noctivid

    I think you'd lose your bet ;) When I first tried them at the Birdfair I knew nothing about them - didn't even know Leica were bringing out new binos, yet I was blown away by the apparent three-dimensionality of the view. Same,when other birders tried my NVs without having read anything about...
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    Noctivid 8x42 tested vs HT and SV Field pro.

    I do agree with you about the HTs, which I've only compared with the NVs at the Birdfair, rather than in the field as I have done with other premium bins. Its a long time since I tried SLCs. Both NV and HT have a wonderfully bright, easy view. The NV, to my eyes, though, delivers better...
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    Noctivid 8x42 tested vs HT and SV Field pro.

    It just demonstrates the difference between peoples' vision, perceptions and maybe brand-loyalty ;). So far, eight of my friends who use SVs have tried the NVs. All have commented on the significantly better brightness and colour-richness of the NVs. One good friend who only bought his SVs...
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    Noctivid 8x42 tested vs HT and SV Field pro.

    Just trying to give a balanced critique! The NVs are a brilliant bino - probably the best currently on the market, taken as a whole package. Again, the general consensus from a fair variety of birders was that they outperform their rivals in the most important way - i.e. the experience of...
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    Follow up testing Noctivid

    Interesting! I've had the NV 8x42s since day of release and have tested them alongside UVs, SFs and SVs,(though not HTs) with (so far) 16 different hard-core birding friends, under all sorts of different lighting conditions, repeatedly swapping bins around. Everyone (bar one SF user who loves...
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    Noctivid 8x42 tested vs HT and SV Field pro.

    Just a quick few comments, having used the 8 x 42 Noctivids, almost daily in the field for 8 hours at a time, since the day of release in the UK. Firstly, handling. I've been used to using Ultravids for years and found the transition to the NVs tricky at first. This is due to the already...
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    New binoculars from leica

    True enough ! Cheers David
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    New binoculars from leica

    There's a brief initial review here: https://www.all4shooters.com/en/Hunting/articles/Leica-Noctivid-binoculars/ Cheers David
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    New binoculars from leica

    People's eyes and needs are obviously very different, which is why there's no "right" bino for everyone. Of the motley crew of birders with SFs, SVs and UV + present the other day, all felt that the image quality of the NVs, while not perfect (what is?) was the best on view by a noticeable...
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    New binoculars from leica

    The colour is very true to life - more so than any other binocular I've tried. Leica talk about the NVs being "closer to the point of absolute colour neutrality than any binocular yet built" and I think that's a fair claim. Cheers David
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    New binoculars from leica

    After nearly three weeks of constant birding with the Noctivid 8x42s I can give a few considered impressions. As an overall comment I'd say they deliver a truly beautiful image - wonderful brightness, contrast and sharpness, nice wide field of view (though not the widest available), huge depth...
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